Keokuk County, Iowa: deer harvest and public hunting land
Keokuk County covers 580 square miles around Sigourney. Hunters reported 1,152 deer here in the 2025 season, 545 of them antlered bucks, through the DNR's harvest reporting. That is up 10% from 2024. 1.1% of Keokuk County is public land open to the public, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (3,777 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: the DNR's harvest reporting results, 2021 to 2025. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's Hunting Atlas layer.
Public hunting areas on the DNR atlasOther DNR landState parks and recreation areasCounty conservation board and city landIHAP landKeokuk CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 371,159 acres (580 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Deer reported, 2025 | 1,152 (545 antlered bucks, 100 button bucks, 496 does and doe fawns) |
| Deer zone (2026) | Zone A |
| Public land | 1.1% (3,948 acres) |
| Hunting areas | 9 (3,777 acres inside Keokuk County) |
| IHAP land | 5 sites, 654 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Sigourney, Hedrick, What Cheer, North English, Fremont and Packwood |
How many deer are harvested in Keokuk County?
Hunters reported 1,152 deer in Keokuk County in 2025: 545 antlered bucks, 100 button bucks, 496 does and doe fawns and 11 bucks that had shed their antlers.
| Season | Deer reported | Antlered bucks | Button bucks | Does | Doe fawns | Shed-antler bucks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,152 | 545 | 100 | 471 | 25 | 11 |
| 2024 | 1,044 | 517 | 73 | 417 | 19 | 18 |
| 2023 | 1,053 | 501 | 90 | 418 | 32 | 12 |
| 2022 | 1,186 | 564 | 76 | 516 | 21 | 9 |
| 2021 | 1,080 | 537 | 90 | 425 | 20 | 8 |
Source: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons), Keokuk County. Every county's numbers add up to the DNR's statewide row for each season shown.
How much public land is in Keokuk County?
3,948 of Keokuk County's 371,159 acres are public land open to the public (1.1%). The biggest share is public hunting areas on the DNR atlas: 3,777 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Keokuk County |
|---|---|---|
| Public hunting areas on the DNR atlas | 3,777 | 1% |
| County conservation board and city land | 111 | under 0.1% |
| Other DNR land | 43 | under 0.1% |
| State parks and recreation areas | 17 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 3,948 | 1.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. Hunting rules differ by manager: DNR wildlife management areas and state forests are open to hunting unless posted as a refuge; Corps of Engineers lake land is open in many places under each project's own rules; national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; county conservation boards set the rules on their own land; state parks are closed to most hunting.
Public hunting areas in Keokuk County
Public hunting areas in Keokuk County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Belva Deer Recreation Area: 1,701 acres
- Hayesville Bend: 537 acres
- South Skunk River Access: 518 acres
- Skunk River Wildlife Area: 415 acres
- Rubio Access: 367 acres
- Nolan Addition To English River Wildlife Area: 92 acres
- Pool Wildlife Area: 67 acres
- Fuller Addition To English River Wildlife Area: 63 acres
- Checauqua River Access: 17 acres
IHAP land in Keokuk County
The DNR's IHAP layer shows 5 tracts in Keokuk County, 654 acres of private land leased for walk-in hunting. Nearly every tract is walk-in only, September 1 to May 31, by the DNR's notes. DNR: IHAP.
How do you get to Keokuk County?
Highways through it: IA 149 (about 39 miles inside), IA 92 (about 24 miles inside), IA 21 (about 24 miles inside), IA 22 (about 23 miles inside) and IA 78 (about 14 miles inside). Towns inside: Sigourney, Hedrick, What Cheer, Richland, Ollie and Delta. Nearby: North English (on the line), Fremont (on the line), Packwood (2 miles) and Rose Hill (3 miles).
Which counties border Keokuk County?
Keokuk County touches 6 other counties. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| County | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | IHAP land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa County | 1,355 | 2025 | 3.9% | 2 |
| Mahaska County | 959 | 2025 | 1.6% | 2 |
| Wapello County | 1,310 | 2025 | 1.5% | |
| Jefferson County | 1,446 | 2025 | 0.6% | |
| Poweshiek County | 736 | 2025 | 0.6% | |
| Washington County | 1,585 | 2025 | 1.1% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Keokuk County in 2025?
Hunters reported 1,152 deer: 545 antlered bucks, 100 button bucks and 496 does and doe fawns (DNR). In 2024: 1,044.
Is there public hunting land in Keokuk County?
Yes. 3,948 acres, 1.1% of the county, are public land open to the public by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries, the largest share public hunting areas on the DNR atlas (3,777 acres). The DNR's atlas shows 9 public hunting areas here.
Does Keokuk County have IHAP land?
Yes. 5 tracts, 654 acres, on the DNR's IHAP layer.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Iowa DNR harvest reporting (2021 to 2025 seasons).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and the DNR's public hunting area boundaries. public hunting areas: Iowa DNR public hunting areas (Hunting Atlas layer). IHAP land: Iowa DNR Iowa Habitat and Access Program (IHAP) tracts.
- Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Iowa hunting Iowa County Mahaska County Wapello County Jefferson County Poweshiek County Washington County